Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade: Jealousy
by LittleMewLugia
Summary: Barricade is lonely, and is jealous when he sees the affection Bumblebee gets from Sam. He decides he wants the same thing, and sets out to get it.
1. Chapter 1

Seven Deadly Sins

Seven Deadly Sins.

Barricade.

Jealousy.

Summary: Barricade is lonely, and is jealous when he sees the

affection Bumblebee gets from Sam. He decides he wants the same

thing, and sets out to get it.

Pairings: Sam/Barricade, Sam/Bumblebee

Setting: Movieverse.

Rating: M

Warning: Contains slash.

Disclaimer: If I owned, would I need to ask? Owned by those

nice people at Hasbro and DreamWorks/Paramount. I gain no

monetary profit or benefit from writing these.

A/N: This is a request fic for Dragonrosefang.

Jealousy.

Prologue.

Sam whistled happily as he soaped Bumblebee with a big soft sponge, and Bumblebee was purring his engine along in time, as rivulets of suds flowed down his hood and dribbled off his bumper. Once Bumblebee was all nice and soapy, Sam played a warm flow of water from a hose over his Autobot friend, rinsing all the suds off. After drying him off with several towels, Sam applied wax with a soft cloth, buffing it up to a shine, and then finishing it with an all over wipe inside and out with a soft chamois leather. Bumblebee hummed happily as Sam, laughing, went inside to change out of his damp things.

Neither Autobot nor human was aware that a pair of resentful red optics had watched the wash Bumblebee had received from his human. The processors behind the optics had wondered what was so special about the ridiculous yellow scout that he received such treatment from the flabby, pale, human, squishy, boy.

Barricade abruptly recognised the emotion, and the cause for it. Barricade was _jealous,_ jealous of the attention the squishy gave the Autobot scout. He wanted it to be _him_, Barricade, receiving the soapy wash, the waxing, the shining and buffing with the soft leather. He _wanted_ what Bumblebee had.

Just a few months earlier the thought of wanting to be touched by a fleshy would have been laughable. Why would he have _wanted_ to be touched by soft, flabby, disgustingly organic hands? But back then he had been surrounded by his fellow Decepticon warriors, and they were close to finding Megatron. Now, all but one of his fellows were dead, and that one was still out in space. There was no love lost between Barricade and Starscream, and Barricade had entertained more than once the notion that Starscream might not return, might abandon him, alone, on this organic-infested dirtball and find some other world to conquer.

Barricade was _lonely_.

Barricade looked back at the gleaming Autobot scout, and made a decision. He wanted what the scout had, he wanted the squishy boy to wash_ him_ instead of Bumblebee.

Barricade wanted the Autobot scout's human for himself.

He reversed quietly so as not to alert the yellow 'bot to his presence, and purred off, processors working on plans.

Barricade wanted Sam Witwicky.

And what Barricade wanted, Barricade usually got.


	2. Chapter 2

Seven Deadly Sins.

Barricade: Jealousy.

Chapter 1.

3AM, a few weeks later.

Bumblebee couldn't say what woke him, but he was suddenly alert. His first thought was for Sam, and he turned up his audio pickups and initiated a light scan. Sam was fine, fast asleep, all his bodily functions slowed, his brainwaves showing that he was dreaming, so Bumblebee turned his scans outwards, and immediately picked up a Decepticon signal several metres away. It was ground-based, and as there had been no landings since Starscream had left, it had to be Barricade. Bumblebee could and had defeated Barricade before, so was not overly concerned. Barricade would likely be keeping a low profile until Starscream returned with more followers. He might observe, but he wouldn't act, not while he was on his own.

Barricade had started moving away, so Bumblebee did not call the other Autobots or transform, but he decided to stay awake for the rest of the night, on surveillance in case Barricade came back.

Bumblebee was unaware that Barricade was retreating because his task was done, the scan of Bumblebee that had woken the scout completed.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam rose, grabbing his backpack, making sure the homework he'd scribbled down the night before was in it, and went down to eat his breakfast. He picked up his backpack and headed out of the house, heading around to Bumblebee's driver's seat.

Throwing his backpack into the back, he gave Bumblebee's steering wheel an affectionate stroke.

"Hiya, 'Bee buddy." he said. Bumblebee hummed and squeezed the seat leather against Sam in an affectionate approximation of a hug. Sam patted the dash.

"Okay, let's get to school." Sam said. "I know you'll be visiting the Base to see the other Autobots, but I know you'll be back in time to pick me up, right?"

"Of course, Sam, as always." Bumblebee said. He stated his engine, while Sam placed his hands on the steering wheel. That, of course, was just for appearances sake, in case the Police came by, or someone else noticed sam with his hands off the wheel while 'driving'. Bumblebee was quite capable of driving himself, and Sam would not have presumed to try to steer Bumblebee. Not only did he respect his Autobot friend way too much to do that to him, he also knew that Bumblebee was a better, more skilled, and more careful driver than he was

They got to school, and Sam got out, pulling his backpack from the back seat as Bumblebee activated his moustached holoform. He tooted at Sam as he pulled away, and Sam waited for Mikaela, who purred up on her new Vespa a few moments later. He greeted her as she parked, and waited for her to catch him up so they could walk into class together.

Sam and Mikaela were no longer in a relationship, but were still good friends, and of course both hung around each other, as they had experiences (and friends, in the Autobots) in common. They chatted about unimportant stuff as they walked into class, then divided to sit at their places.

The school day was unremarkable, except that in the last class, Sam was called out and told to see the secretary.

When Sam got to the secretary she indicated he should sit down, which he did.

"Young Mr Witwicky, the school have received a call informing us that your father has had an accident. Your mother has phoned to ask if you could meet her at the hospital. Permission has been given for you to leave the school grounds early."

"What happened?" Sam asked, alarmed.

"I don't know, Mr Witwicky, I've told you what I was told. If you go now, you should be able to get there soon. I hope that it is not too serious." She told him.

"Thank you." Sam told her, and left, ferreting about in his bag for his cell phone. He was about to call Bumblebee on it when a hoot from the car park got his attention. Looking over, he saw the familiar yellow lines of his Autobot friend, and shoving his cell in the pocket of his pants, gratefully headed over to him. He knew Bumblebee always got back in time to pick him up at usual school time, and was just grateful the scout had obviously arrived early to make sure. That would save some time.

He got in as the door opened, tossing his backpack into the back seat again, pulling on his seatbelt.

"Come on, Bee, we gotta get to the hospital, my Dad's been hurt!" he said. Bumblebee started his engine, locking the car doors, and pulling out of the school parking lot at a speed just under the speed limit. Sam was glad that Bumblebee understood his concern.

Ten minutes later, Bumblebee – the _real_ Bumblebee – pulled into the car park and waited for the school bell to ring, blissfully unaware that Sam was no longer in the grounds.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

It took Sam about ten minutes to realise that something was wrong, when Bumblebee shot past the turnoff to the hospital and kept going.

"Hey, Bee, that was the turnoff for the hospital back there." When Bee showed no signs of trying to slow or turn, and didn't respond, Sam said "Hey, c'mon Bee, it's back there!" When this also met with no response, Sam said "What are you playing at, Bee?" He grabbed the steering wheel, trying to turn it, but it may as well have been welded in place, it didn't budge. eHeThis It was then that he noticed that the silver logo in the centre of the steering wheel was not the familiar, friendly angular Autobot logo he was used to seeing on Bee's steering wheel, but the almost equally familiar but more fearful pointed Decepticon symbol.

A cold, hard lump formed in his stomach at the sight of it, and his eyes widened in fear as he began to sweat. He pushed his hand in his pocket to get his cell, but as he pulled it out ready to hit speed dial for the Autobots, a familiar holoform shimmered into view in the passenger seat, shooting its hands out to grab his wrist in an unyielding grip with one hand, and wresting the cell phone from his hand with the other.

"Oh no you don't." said a voice which wasn't Bumblebee's, but Sam recognised as Barricade's. He hit the seat belt release with one hand, which didn't budge, then tried to pull open the door locks, which were equally immoveable.

"Nonononono! Barricade, _please_, let me go!" he cried. "My Dad's been injured, I gotta go see him!" Sam knew that the Decepticon wasn't bit on compassion or mercy, but he tried anyway: between his Dad being hurt and his own sudden peril, he had to try.

Barricade laughed.

"Your father is fine: _I_ made the call to your school with that as a story to get you out early, so I could get you while your guardian was away. Your father is not harmed."

"Let me go!" Sam pleaded, clawing at the door locks again. He felt the seat belt tighten, not enough to hurt him but enough to restrict his struggles.

"I'm afraid I won't be doing that." Barricade said. "I'm not going to all the trouble of getting you just to let you go again." Barricade gave another laugh.

"You belong to _me _now."


	3. Chapter 3

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Jealously.

A/N: Bumblebee washing Sam is the idea of MeowthTwo, who will soon be writing a story around it. As such I cannot take the credit for the idea.

As the school bell went, Bumblebee watched the students file out, watching for Sam. as the flood slowed to a trickle, with no sign of Sam, Bumblebee felt a slight flicker of unease. He was probably just getting a detention, or clarifying something, Bumblebee thought, but he beeped as he saw Mikaela go by, flashing his lights at her to get her attention. She saw him, waved, and threaded her way between the other cars until she got to him.

"Hey, Bee!" she said. "Where's Sam?"

Bumblebee's spark flickered at her words.

"He's not with you?" he asked.

"He was called out of class to talk to the secretary, and Mr Dyson told us that something had happened at home, so he was leaving early." Mikaela said. A small furrow appeared in her brow as she frowned.

"I was watching out of the window, you picked him up, Bumblebee, _you_ should know where he is." Mikaela said.

"No, I didn't, Mikaela, I was at the Autobot base and only left a few minutes ago." said Bumblebee. Mikaela looked puzzled.

"Well, it looked like you, and he got in." she said.

Bumblebee called Sam's cell. It was off.

Bumblebee wasn't sure how he made the connection, but he suddenly remembered being woken earlier, Barricade's presence earlier that morning. They had to be connected, and Barricade, like him, could scan and switch disguises as needed. It seemed likely that Barricade had Sam.

As Bumblebee growled his engine, Mikaela took an involuntary step backwards.

"I think I know who he's with." Bumblebee told Mikaela. "I just need to find out where and for what purpose." He started up.

"I'll see you later, if you'll excuse me." He said, starting to pull out of the parking space.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Mikaela asked. "You don't know where he is, you said so yourself."

"I'm going hunting." Bumblebee said, as he pulled away.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

By the time Sam had realised he was not in Bumblebee, they were on a deserted highway. Sam tried to ask Barricade what he wanted from him, but Barricade refused to speak to him, leaving his fearful questions unanswered. Barricade turned on to more and more remote roads, until he finally stopped at a deserted warehouse.

The doors swung open as he approached – obviously Barricade had managed to rig up some sort of automated system – and he drove in. the doors swung shut again, and Sam felt the seatbelt release as the door unlocked and swung open.

He rolled out of Barricade, scrabbling to his feet and making a run for the door. He tried to pull the door open as he heard the familiar sound of s Cybertronian converting from alt form to robot mode. The door didn't budge.

"Nonononono!" moaned Sam, abandoning the edge of the door and trying to scoot away as Barricade, now fully in his robot mode, came towards him.

Sam turned to flat-out run towards a partitioned-off part of the warehouse, but he had only taken a few strides before he felt Barricade's big metal fingers curl around him and felt himself lifted from the ground. He yelled and hit out at the fingers, trying to kick as Barricade lifted him up and turned Sam to face him. Barricade watched Sam kick and twist in his grasp, and shuttered his optics briefly.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I could have by now." He said, hoping to calm Sam, but as his struggles increased, Barricade realised that the boy misunderstood, and had taken the assurance as a threat. He raised the human to one shoulder, gently held him there, but flattening his hand to restrain him, and used the smooth surface of the forefinger of the other hand to stroke his fuzzy head.

"I will not hurt you." He started, the plainest way he could think of to try and reassure the human.

The boy whimpered a bit, but his struggles lessened. Barricade lifted him from his shoulder, tipped him back as he used his other hand to hold him as well, and swept his thumbs up the boy's body caressingly.

Sam tensed, but Barricade just held him gently.

"What….what do you want from me?" he asked.

Barricade didn't want to tell Sam his intentions just yet. Admitting he was lonely could be used as a weapon against him. Instead he decided to show the human where he would be staying.

"I have a surprise for you." He said, striding towards the partitioned-off area Sam had run for earlier. Sam stiffened in his grip again, and once again Barricade realised the silly human had interpreted the comment as a threat, despite is assurances. He scowled.

"I said I would not harm you. Do you doubt my word?" he snapped. Sam raised his hands up at the tone of his voice, and turned his face away, and Barricade inwardly cursed. He was not used to being gentle, particularly not with weakling organics. As a consequence, he was messing this up.

He stopped talking and walked past the partition. Beyond this was a big stone sink and Barricade had managed to use some hose and a watering-can head to rig a primitive shower area, having drilled a hole in the side of the wall to drain away the water. Further along was another partition.

"Here you can wash yourself, and with some buckets and sponges you can sometimes wash me." he told Sam, gently turning the human so he could see the setup.

Sam had been worried he'd offended Barricade at first, but his grip did not tighten, and when he turned him, Sam noticed that Barricade was careful not to let his claws touch Sam. He still didn't know what was going on, but he realised that for some reason Barricade DIDN'T want to hurt him. Sam couldn't help wishing, however, that Barricade would go back to his original alt. The yellow armour and doorwings he associated with his guardian looked almost obscene coupled with the spiky face and clawed hands of Barricade. Barricade as a hideous parody of Bumblebee was just too creepy for Sam's liking. He looked at the wash area indicated, and then Barricade walked beyond the other partition.

"This is where you can recharge and dress and eat." he told Sam, stooping to put him down. Sam was stunned speechless. He didn't know where he had got the stuff from, but there was a mattress beyond the partition, a chair, a pile of sheets and a quilt and bedspread and pillows in one corner, and what seemed to be several pairs of jeans and t-shirts in another. There were even packs of socks and underclothes. In another corner were tins and packets, and Barricade even seemed to have found a battered old fridge and a microwave oven from somewhere, and there was obviously power, as the microwave's clock was flashing, needing to be set.

"Well?" Barricade asked. "Is it good enough? Will you be comfortable here? Do you need anything else?"

"Um…..I don't know what to say?" Sam said. It was true, because he was suddenly realising that Barricade was planning to keep him there, and he didn't know why or for how long.

Barricade looked at Sam.

"Don't you like it?" Sam could hear the disappointment and confusion in Barricade's voice.

"Uhh…it's…um…very good….with the fridge and things." Sam said. "Just wondering why I'm here and for how long."

"As long as I say you stay." said Barricade.

AS Barricade said this, he noticed Sam go an odd pale colour, and felt a flash of annoyance. Why was this human so quick to scare? He sighed, and bent to pick up Sam in one hand and stroke him with the fingers of the other, then he raised him to his face and carefully rested Sam against his cheek.

He felt the humans hands reflexively come up, felt those soft little warm appendages against his skin, and let out a silent sigh.

"I mean you no harm. I wish to find out firsthand what the appeal of a squishy friend is." He was still wary of telling am the entire truth. "I can see some of the appeal already." He admitted. Then he pulled Sam away.

"Please, wash me, and then wash yourself. You have already began secreting." he said, in barely-concealed revulsion, for Sam's T-shirt was now damp with perspiration. He carried Sam through to the bathing area, and put him down, pointing to a selection of sponges and buckets in a corner.

"You should find all you need there to wash me as you wash your Autobot companion." He said.

"And what if I won't?" Sam asked wearily. He was tired and scared, and this made him less than diplomatic.

Barricade growled his engine. When would this human realise he was in charge. He raised his voice in a shout, reaching out a hand to grip Sam firmly around the body.

"If you do not, I will -"

He cut himself off as he recalled he was meant to be treating the boy gently. Threats and intimidation would not help to get Sam to trust him and love him. He looked at Sam, who had paled and begun to sweat again. He put him back down gently.

"I will do nothing." He stated. "I – I apologise." He said. Barricade was not used to apologising to anybody for anything, except maybe to Megatron for failing a mission, although now Megatron was dead, those days, too, were over. "You should wash yourself, and do yourself some food. I forget you have been at school all day, you may wish to rest. You can wash me tomorrow." He nodded to Sam and left the room.

Sam stared after him. Why had Barricade broken off mid–threat – and then _apologised_? It didn't make any sense! Barricade seemed concerned for his welfare, he reflected, as he wandered into his new quarters and slowly began to undress. He had promised not to harm him, and had petted him, much as Sam himself petted Mojo. Sam wasn't sure what was happening, and was not about to make any assumptions until he knew for certain, but one thing seemed certain: Barricade did seem to be making an effort to try to not frighten Sam, and to make his prison as comfortable as possible.

He rummaged through the piles of clothing and sheets, and found toothbrushes – but no toothpaste – and towels, but no soap. Wrapping one towel around himself and carrying another through, he looked through the buckets and sponges, but found no soap or shampoo, at least not for humans. He shrugged picking up a bottle of car shampoo and one of the big yellow car sponges. It was often enough he'd been covered in suds from car soap while washing Bumblebee, it would at least do the job, and he was used to car sponges – Bumblebee occasionally, when he got the chance, liked to repay the favour by washing Sam in return.

He set the makeshift shower going, using the car shampoo and sponge to clean both his hair and body. He dried himself off using the towel, throwing his clothebs under the shower with some auto soap to clean them as he did, then turned it off and put them in the stone sink to drain. He put on one of the T-shirts and a pair of the underpants – boxers – and then did himself a quick microwaveable meal from the fridge. Wearily, he put the sheets and duvet and pillows on his mattress, then got in. He was tired, and dropped into sleep straight away.

When Barricade came in later to check on him, back in his customary police car colours, he didn't stir. Barricade was not in need of recharge, so crouched and watched Sam sleep. After a while he carefully reached out a finger and ran it gently over Sam's head, then down over the duvet - outlined body.

Sam murmured something unintelligible, but did not otherwise stir.


	4. Chapter 4

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Jealousy.

Chapter Three.

A/N 1 joor is about 6.5 hours. So four joors is about 26 hours.

When Sam awoke, it was to find Barricade crouched down observing him. Sam sat up abruptly, recalling the events of the night before, and looked at Barricade, somewhere in the back of his brain expressing relief that he had taken back on his original appearance.

"Was your recharge adequate?" asked Barricade.

"Y-yeah." Said Sam groggily.

"Eat, dress, do anything else you need to do, then come and get me, I'll be in the main room." Barricade told Sam. "I will want you to wash me. If you do not, I will do nothing to harm you, but if you do, there may be rewards to be earned." With that, Barricade rose from his crouch and walked out to leave Sam in peace to perform his ablutions, fix himself breakfast, and dress, all of which Sam did while thinking over what Barricade had said.

He walked out to find Barricade waiting for him. Barricade stepped over and reached his hands out again: before Sam could react much, he had Sam held on his back in both his hands, the thumbs stroking first up and then down his body.

"What's with all the holding, Barricade?" Sam asked, a bit alarmed but slightly confused. He felt so vulnerable like that. Barricade wasn't hurting him now, but all he'd have to do was curl his hands into fists to destroy Sam, and Sam was all too aware of this.

"I…I like to feel you in my hands." Barricade reluctantly admitted. "You are so small, so helpless, but so warm and cuddly." Once again he lifted Sam up to his cheek. "Please, Sam, touch my face, let me feel what Bumblebee feels when you stroke him."

Sam, puzzled, reached up one hand to the great metal cheek, laying it flat and pulling down. Barricade's optics shuttered, and he sighed.

"Tell me more about what you were saying earlier." Sam said. "What sort of 'rewards' might my co-operation get me?"

Barricade sighed again, this time in disappointment as Sam removed his hand.

"I could take you outside to make calls to your parental units and your friends on your cell so they know you are well, but I warn you: any attempt to tell them you are with me, or where you are, will result in the privilege being permanently removed. I could take you to a town, you could come with me when I need to resupply. I could go and look around, tell you how your parental units and friends are, maybe even let you see them from a distance." Barricade suggested.

This made Sam pause. He was certainly distressed to be separated from those he cared about, he missed them. However, his parents, Mikaela, and Bumblebee would also be concerned. They would have no idea of where he was, no knowledge of his fate, no certainty that he was even still alive. If Barricade was promising him the chance to reassure them, he would take the chance he was offered.

He raised his hands back up to Barricade's face, stroking them down in long, sweeping caresses. Barricade moaned a little, and dipped his head a little lower. Sam reached up to stroke along the edges of one of Barricade's optic sockets, stimulating the sensitive area that even few Cybertronians bothered with: Bumblebee had told Sam about this often-sensitive but oft-ignored area. He snatched his hands away as the shutters slowly dropped down, stroking along the closed shutters, which were also sensitive.

Barricade's hands hiked Sam higher as he lowered his head: Barricade's sensor crown was now within reach, and Sam reached up to grasp and knead the sharp edges, an action that had Barricade squeaking and clicking in pleasure. Sam stretched to splay his hands over the wider area of the sensors and stroke them down: Barricade's hands twitched and Sam felt himself slip. Before he could cry out or panic, Barricade had caught him again, tilted him back once more, and brought Sam back up to his face, the centre of the face this time rather than the side.

As Sam was pressed against Barricade's face, he recalled that fearsome toothy mouth, but he need not have worried: Barricade had thin metal 'lips' of a sort that he could close over the sharp pointy dentition. Sam felt those lips push against him as he felt a slight suction against his body. It took him a moment to realise that Barricade was kissing him.

The kissing continued for a while and then ceased, and instead Barricade was rubbing his face against Sam, nuzzling at him almost desperately, as Sam bestowed strokes and pats and the occasional kiss of his own on Barricade's hide. Sam found that he was actually enjoying this: he was used to doing much the same thing to Bumblebee, and he was liking the moans and cries his touches were teasing from the big Decepticon whom he'd first met under far less pleasant circumstances.

He was almost disappointed when Barricade took him away from his face, and turned towards the washing room. He put Sam down.

"Will you wash me, Sam?" asked Barricade. Sam nodded slowly, and moved over to the buckets. As Barricade transformed into car form, Sam filled the buckets with warm water.

Sam ran a critical eye over Barricade as he washed him: the black and white Decepticon was absolutely _filthy_! He recalled now that when he had appeared as Bumblebee he was also grubbier than usual, but Sam had been too worried about his dad's 'accident' at that time to think of querying it. He lathered Barricade up thoroughly as the latter purred his engine in pleasure. Barricade had quite obviously gone far too long without any sort of care or maintenance, and Sam felt a pang of pity for the Decepticon. From all reports, he was the last living Decepticon on the planet, with no fellows to help him relax, to talk to, or even to help him wash.

Sam took as much care with Barricade as he ever had with Bumblebee, scrubbing at stubborn dirt in the door hinges with one of the toothbrushes Barricade had provided for him, and making sure he scrubbed it out of Barricade's wheel arches and under his bumpers. He slid on his back under Barricade's chassis to check the undersides of the alt mode, something not many car owners thought to check with their vehicles. Only when Sam was as certain as he could be that he'd gotten off all the dirt he could find did he start to dry the police cruiser's surfaces with some of the towels he'd used last night. Then he got out the bottle of wax and a chamois leather, and began applying wax, paying extra attention to the doors, idly tracing Barricade's Decepticon logo with his finger as he used the other hand to rub and buff the wax.

When he had finished, Barricade's bodywork was gleaming, but Sam himself was damp, dirty, and sweaty. Barricade transformed as Sam stepped back.

"Have something to eat and then take a wash yourself, Sam." Barricade said softly as he examined his shiny plating. Sam nodded, and headed to his room.

"And Sam?" Barricade said.

"Yes?" asked Sam.

"Thank you." Barricade said.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

:Bumblebee, where are you? Report, scout!:

Bumblebee would have preferred to ignore this comm, like all the rest he'd ignored, but this one ended with the call sign of Optimus Prime. Not only would Bumblebee be giving insult by refusing the call – not that he wasn't in trouble for refusing to answer the comms of Mirage, Prowl, Ironhide, and Ratchet – but Optimus would be hurt. Optimus was like a Creator to Bumblebee, and a good friend, and he did not want to hurt Optimus, or give him reason to be disappointed in him.

Reluctantly, he opened his comm.

:Bumblebee reporting, sir, I'm rather busy at the moment.: He said.

:Bumblebee, why have you been refusing to answer your comm. signals? Are you in some sort of trouble?: The worried tone in Optimus' voice made Bumblebee immediately contrite.

:Sam's been taken, by Barricade, I suspect, Sir, I'm sorry, I've been concentrating all my energy on trying to figure out where he's taken him, but I have no leads so far.:

There was a pause. Then Optimus spoke again. :That is not adequate reason to not respond to comm calls. You might be able to do it alone, but I believe that Sam might be found a little faster if we worked with you.: he said.  
:_I'm_ Sam's guardian and Sparkmate!: Bumblebee said heatedly. :He's _my_ responsibility! I don't want anyone else butting in! It's up to me to get him back off that slagger!:

:None of us are denying that, Bumblebee, or saying otherwise.: Optimus said. :We are merely offering our assist. If we see Barricade, either out on our patrols or on security cameras, we can tell you. In fact, Mirage is offering to do a check of all the closed-circuit cameras within a fifty mile radius of Tranquility within the last 4 joors. We are willing to gather intelligence for you, and provide back-up if you request it, but what you do with the information is entirely up to you.:

:Thank you, I accept your kind offer of assistance.: Bumblebee said, feeling rather stupid: the Autobots had always worked as a team, yet here he was trying to take it all on himself. :I may even end up requesting backup, although I don't think there will be any need.:

His voice went hard again.

:As long as everyone realises that Barricade is mine to deal with!:

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam wrapped the now damp and slightly grubby towels around himself. Barricade had heard the shower turn off and came through. There was Sam, clad in just a towel, his hair wet, and drops of water trickling down his chest and arms. He also noticed that Sam was shivering a bit.

"Why are you shaking?" Barricade asked curiously.

"It's the effect of coming out from under a hot shower and into the cold air. The water's evaporating off my skin and taking my body heat with it." Sam shivered. "It's normal, but it doesn't half make you shiver."

Barricade folded back down into car form and popped his door.

"Come in here, I'll warm you up." Sam looked at Barricade askance – from a human, that last would have been highly suggestive – but went over, throwing a spare towel on Barricade's leather seat before settling himself in it, and sighed as Barricade closed the car door and turned on the hot air blowers.

"We're gonna need a laundry run sometime, Barricade, these towels are getting dirty." Sam said.

"Perhaps we can do that tomorrow, when you may also call your parental units on your cell." Barricade said. Sam felt elated and smiled.

"Thank you!" he said,

"You have earned the privilege." Barricade told him.

As Sam shifted position in his seat, Barricade wondered if this is what it was like for Bumblebee. Did Sam sit in him when he was cold, moving against him and snuggling into the dip in his seats? Did Sam sit inside him and discuss Cybertronian history, or culture, or beliefs and opinions? Did they talk about earthly things, like the political issues of the day, and about things they could not change, like the weather? Did Sam play CD's, or discuss human music with Bumblebee, and did Bumblebee play Sam Cybertronian music in return? Did Sam ask Bumblebee for stories of what he'd done in the war before meeting him? Did Bumblebee tell him any?

Barricade realised there was a very easy way to find out. All he needed to do was ask Sam. As he turned his attention back to the human, he realised that right now, that was not an option, and neither was transforming back to bipedal form.

Warmed by the blowers and cushioned and supported by the leather seat, Sam had drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade

Jealousy

Chapter Four.

Sam fought his way out of sleep. He could tell by the purring engine and the seat he was reclining on that he was in a car. Still half-asleep he murmured "Bee?"

"It's me, Barricade, Sam, you dozed off and are now quite dry." Although Barricade's voice was softer than was customary, Sam sat bolt upright as he became aware of his surroundings, remembered the events of the last two days, and realised he was lying in Barricade wearing nothing but a towel.

"Um-what's the time?" he asked.

"It is evening, Sam, you should put on some clothing and then get yourself some food." Barricade said. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, right, I guess." He said. He got out of Barricade's seat, heading for his room, behind him he heard Barricade convert back into robot form. To Sam's relief, Barricade did not follow him. He knew Barricade was not interested in seeing his naked form, would likely derive no pleasure if he did, but still, Sam still had some deeply-ingrained taboos, and one of them was nudity in the presence of another, even if the other _was_ an alien robot three times his size.

He dressed, found a packet of food he could make up in the microwave, and ate, then took his plates and utensils through to the washing area and rinsed them under the tap, idly noting that he might have to ask Barricade if they could invest in washing-up liquid. Also, he though, toothpaste, shampoo and normal soap wouldn't go amiss. And toilet paper, he thought. There was a working toilet, but Sam had had a nasty moment one visit when he had discovered there was no paper. Luckily, he had had a packet of tissues he carried for Mikaela in his pocket, and was able to use those.

In fact, there was a lot he felt that was lacking, like soft drinks, a kettle, tea and coffee making facilities and soforth. He went back to his room, found his backpack, and tore a page from a notebook. Picking up a pen, he began to make a list.

Ten minutes later, he went through to find Barricade, who was squatting, watching for his arrival expectantly. Barricade extended those big hands again, but this time Sam was not surprised by the contact, and allowed Barricade to clasp him to his shoulder and bring him up to his face. Sam casually reached up to stroke and pat the big Deception's face, did not tense as Barricade once again moved Sam to his mouth, and kissed him several times.

Then he pulled Sam away, tipping him back in his hands again, big thumbs caressing gently up and down his body.

"Hey, Barricade, can we include a shopping run tomorrow? I've found some things I'd like to have available if I'm to stay here for any length of time." Sam asked.

"What things?" scowled Barricade. Sam shied back, fearful that he had offended Barricade, but Barricade gave Sam a quick, short head shake.

"No, I'm angry at myself for the oversight. Name these things." Barricade stated.

Sam ran through the list he had made. A few times, Barricade stopped him, asked why Sam needed some items and what function they served. Sam explained where needed, and when Sam had finished, Barricade nodded his big head solemnly.

"Very well. Tomorrow we will go out and purchase the items you require. You will come with me, I shall dress my holoform in civilian clothing and we will shop together. Do not attempt to run from me, if you do, I will find you again, and I will not allow you any calls to your friends or parental units. Once we have shopped, I will take you to another location where you can phone your parental units."

"Thanks, Barricade." Sam said.

Barricade sat down and placed Sam in the crook of one of his arms.

"Tell me, Sam, about some of your childhood experiences. I shall tell you some of my life. It will be nice to share my experiences with another. I have not talked about myself to another for a long time."

Sam talked about his childhood as Barricade had requested, telling him anecdotes he remembered his mother telling her friends, answering Barricade's questions about things he took for granted. He supposed it made sense that Barricade had never made a sand castle or a snowman: he was an alien, a member of an extremely long-lived race whose war had begun before the human race had learned to stand upright and use tools. Sam realised, with embarrassment, that they were so behind the Cybertronian race in terms of technology that they might as well still be at that stage as far as the Decepticons were concerned, at least, and Sam had heard certain murmurings at the Autobot base to wonder if even some of the Autobots thought of humanity in those terms as well. "Insect" Megatron had called him, and indeed humanity did seem to resemble insects in some ways, mostly by how numerous both humans and insects were upon the surface of planet Earth.

Then Barricade told Sam about some of his life, not so much his childhood, as his life before the war. Sam was surprised to find that Barricade had been a composer of music, by his accounts some of the most beautiful and famous music on Cybertron before the war cut his playing and composing career short. His name had not been 'Barricade' back then, but something totally different, that even some determined questioning by Sam failed to find out.

"That time is gone now, the war ended that all." Barricade stated. "My name is now Barricade, and it shall remain Barricade until and unless there comes reason to change it. It is late, we will be rising early, you should get some recharge." Barricade said, raising Sam to his face for a last nuzzle, then putting him on the floor.

Reluctantly, Sam obeyed Barricade, but he tossed and turned for a while before he got any sleep.

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He was awoken early the next morning by Barricade, who was stroking him over the quilt he was curled under.

He stretched and turned, and the movement caused Barricade to stop stroking and peer down at Sam from where he was crouching by his bed. Sam looked up sleepily, then rubbed a hand over his eyes and sat up.

Barricade backed up a bit, and Sam got out of bed, holding the sheet around him, and grabbed for some clothes. He headed out for the shower, Barricade rising and following.

Sam looked over at Barricade. "Could I have a bit of privacy to shower?" he asked. Barricade nodded, retreating to the main room. Sam showered briefly and dried himself, then dressed, grabbed a pasty from the fridge to eat, and headed out.

Barricade was there in robot form, and picked Sam up, but this time Sam was actually expecting the contact, and went through the usual cuddle-pat-kiss-stroke-nuzzle routine he was becoming accustomed to. Then Barricade put Sam down.

"Fetch your list, and then we shall go shopping." Barricade said.

Returning to his room, picking up the list, and putting on his sneakers, Sam checked for any last-minute additions to the list, and headed out. Barricade was back in car form, and Sam went to go for the front passenger seat, but Barricade opened one of his rear-passenger doors instead. Nonplussed, Sam went inside and sat down.

"It would be more expected for you to be in the back of a Police car than the front." Barricade explained. Sam nodded: it made sense. Barricade activated the electronic door and started his engine with a loud purr. He pulled out of the warehouse, and reactivated the door, which closed behind him. It wasn't long before they were back on the highway, and when they entered a town, Sam recognised it as the closest town to Tranquility. He supposed it made sense – Tranquility was big enough to have a school, but not a major shopping mall. Barricade pulled into the big multi-story car park, near the doors of Wal-Mart, and Sam noticed that Barricade had changed his hologram to have plain clothes.

Barricade withdrew a large wad of bills from his glove compartment, and he and Sam got out. He walked just behind Sam, into the shop. They obtained a trolley, and they went around the shop, grabbing the items they needed.

Toothpaste. Shampoo. Soap. Salt, pepper, sauces and vinegar for Sam to use on his foods. Shaving foam, washing powder, washing up liquid, a pad of writing paper, toilet paper and disposable razors were put in the trolley and ticked off the list. Sponges, both for human skin and for washing dishes. Kitchen paper, dishcloths and drying cloths. Pens and pencils, a can of deodorant, and some chocolate bars. Microwaveable portions of pasta, sauce, chips, burgers, ready meals, pasties and snacks went in the trolley. Two liters of milk followed the rest of the items in, and soon a kettle, two mugs, a box of tea bags, a jar of coffee, a packet of sugar and four bottles of cola soon joined the rest.

Once they had what they needed, they went to the till and paid for the items, putting the bags into the trolley and going back to Barricade's alt form. They had just finished packing the items into the trunk when Sam slapped his hand to his forehead.

"We forgot to get the towels to put in the laundry, and they're too dirty to use any more!" he said.

"Then we will buy some more. Come on." Barricade told Sam, pushing the lid of the trunk down. They headed back into the shop again.

It was when they walked around the aisle end and into the aisle where the towels were sold that they saw the last person they expected to see. The sight of her was so unexpected that they almost walked into her. Then Sam recognised her at the same time as she saw him.

Mikaela's eyes widened and her hand flew up to her mouth in shock as she recognised her friend.

"Sam!" she cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Jealousy.

Chapter Five.

They were alone in the aisle, and Barricade took advantage of this, morphing his holoform's clothing back into its customary Police issue wear. He took Sam's upper arm in his hand, his grip painful, and tried to push Sam past her and down the aisle, but Mikaela grabbed at the holoform's arm.

"Let Sam go!" she cried. "Barricade, I know it's you! Let him go or I'm gonna call Bumblebee and the Autobots to deal with you!" She tried to pull Barricade's hand off Sam, but she may as well have tried to bend steel. Sam gasped as Barricade jerked around, taking Sam with him, and grabbed Mikaela's arm in the same hard, unyielding grip. As she cried out, he pulled her towards him and leaned in until his face was inches from hers.

"If you value your own life, shut up. If you value Sam's life, when I let you go, walk up the aisle as if nothing happened, do your shopping, and leave, as if nothing has happened. If you try to raise the alarm, I will say Sam is a shoplifter and that you are his accomplice, and when I get Sam back to where I am going, I will make things very uncomfortable for him. Do you understand?" Barricade half-growled, half-hissed at her.

Mikaela's face was white and sweat beaded her skin, her forehead crimped in pain from the force of Barricade's grip. She glared up at the unyielding face that was pushed close to hers, then she flicked a glance at Sam.

His face, too, was pale and sheened with sweat, the expression on his face one of fear. At the sight of it, the fire left her eyes and she dropped her head.

"I understand. Just don't hurt him." She said. Barricade nodded curtly once, released her arm, and walked off, still half-dragging Sam with him. She did as Barricade had ordered, walking up into the aisle and doing her shopping, not looking back once. At the checkout she chanced a look at her arm, where the holoform had gripped it, and saw it beginning to purple: Barricade had grabbed her so hard that he had bruised her.

She got out of the shop and walked over to where Miles was waiting: he had driven her to the mall in his new/old junker as a favour. As they were both Sam's friends, they had pulled together in their worry over him, and were spending more and more time together.

As he opened the door, she scanned that floor of the car park. She could not see Barricade, and figured it would be safe to tell Miles. How would Barricade know?

"Miles, I just saw Sam." she told him tersely.

"What?" he asked. She briefly outlined her encounter with Sam and the holoform, and showed him the marks on her arm, which were now obviously finger pressure-bruises.

"What should we do now? Call Bumblebee?" he asked.

"Yes, I think that's a very good idea." Mikaela said, pulling out her cell phone.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Barricade's anger did not subside as they excited the shop without buying the towels, neither did his grip abate as he marched Sam across the car park towards his physical form. A back door opened and the holoform pushed Sam in, only then releasing his grip on Sam's arm. As the holoform walked around to the front seat, Sam did up his seat belt, wondering what was going to happen now.

The holoform got in and Barricade started his engine without a word. Sam suspected that the encounter meant that he would not get his phone call, and as he recognised the route back to the warehouse, he realised that he was sadly correct. Once inside the warehouse, Barricade opened his back door to let Sam out, and then his trunk, barely giving Sam time to get the bags out and step back as he transformed back into robot form.

"You can wash the towels we have. Go to your room or to the wash room. Get out of here." He said. His voice was tight, his anger barely suppressed. Sam felt it was rather unfair for Barricade to blame him for something he had no control over, but dared not say so. The easy rapport that had developed over the last three days was absent, and Sam felt under threat again. Sam scurried into his room with the bags, busying himself with unpacking and putting things away.

When he had finished with that, he took the washing powder and dumped the towels in the big sink with two handfuls of washing powder, rubbing it in until his arms ached. Then he rinsed the towels and let them them drain as he examined the bruise Barricade's holoform had left on his upper arm.

He left the towels to drain in the sink overnight, not knowing just how he was expected to dry them, and went to prepare himself a meal. He wondered if he should go out to Barricade for his now-customary goodnight cuddles, but chose not to. If Barricade wanted him, he could come and get him, it wasn't as if he didn't know where Sam was. Not only did Sam not want to risk angering him further, Sam himself felt less than affectionate towards the Decepticon at that precise moment. Barricade did not come through while Sam was eating, neither did he come through as Sam prepared himself for bed. Sam remade his bed, slid under the covers, and, after tossing and turning for a good while, fell asleep wondering just what lay in store for him tomorrow.

In the meantime, Barricade was trying very hard to calm down. He was furious that the incident had happened, but more furious at himself for not having the sense he was created with to take Sam to a location further from Tranquility than the next town over. Of course, nobody could have predicted that this would happen, but there was a greater chance of it happening the closer they were to Sam's home town.

He hoped Sam had not misinterpreted being sent away. Barricade wasn't angry at Sam at all, the boy had not done anything wrong, But Barricade was aware that he had already frightened Sam, by way of his harsh actions and his necessary threat to Mikaela at the store. He had had to stop her kicking up a fuss, it was in his nature to threaten the lives of his captives, slaggit all, he wasn't used to being gentle, but he could tell that Sam had taken it as seriously as Mikaela. Barricade did not want to reinforce that fear by lashing out if Sam said something injudicious by accident. It was better that Sam stay out of his way until he had calmed down. Perhaps he could explain this in the morning, when he hoped to have calmed down.

Barricade also wanted to be alone because he was preparing a surprise for Sam: it was something he'd been thinking of for a while but not yet implemented. However, now might be a good time, partly as an apology for his earlier actions. If he was going to get it as accurate as he could, he needed time to work on the details. He had already taken the requisite scans while sitting in the car park, now he just needed to access the relevant documents and videos and accounts on the Internet.

Once he was satisfied he had all he needed, he set to work.

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Bumblebee drew up by Miles and Mikaela's car in the parking lot. When Mikaela had given him the news, he told her to buy a local map, mark where they were with an X, and then wait for him. This they did, and they only had to wait about twenty minutes before the yellow Camaro drew up alongside them.

While waiting, Miles had been alarmed to see Mikaela turn white, break out in a sweat, and begin to shake.

"What is it, Mikaela?" asked Miles, catching her arm.

"I..I'm OK." She said in a shaky voice that belied her words. "It's…it's just reaction to what happened in the store." He supported her till she got some colour back in her cheeks, and steadied herself. She smiled at him, and gave his arm a grateful squeeze with one hand as she drew the other across her forehead to get rid of the sweat. By the time Bumblebee drew up, Mikaela had fully regained her composure.

"You did as I asked with the map?" Bumblebee asked. They nodded.

"Hold it up in front of me." He told them. They did, and Bumblebee scanned the map, converted it to a holographic format, copied it in his memory, and sent a copy to the Autobot base with an explanation, the time of the sighting, and a request to check the surveillance cameras on the motorways and in the streets of the surrounding area to see if they had any sightings.

"Well, it's a start." said Bumblebee. "Perhaps only a small one, but it's more information than we had before. Once we track him down, we can rescue Sam."

"If Barricade gives you that chance." Said Mikaela. Bumblebee growled his engine.

"Barricade will have no choice." said Bumblebee in a tone of voice that chilled Mikaela. "I have defeated Barricade in combat before, and I can do so again. And this time, I am going to _kill _Barricade."

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Sam stirred, turned and awoke. He stretched, and then cautiously opened an eye. Barricade had at least once been standing by his bed when he awoke, and remembering the foul temper Barricade had been in earlier, Sam wanted to see if Barricade was there, and if so, could he gauge his mood this morning? What he saw made both his eyes open wide and he sat up straight in his bed.

"Who the hell are_ you_?" he asked the pale youth with messy black hair who was sitting at the foot of his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Chapter Six.

The boy looked up with pale blue watery eyes and a startled look on his face. He wore faded denim pants and a wrinkled green t-shirt, and he gave Sam a hesitant smile.

"Hello, I'm…Barry." He said. "How are you?" Something might have clicked if Sam had not just woken, but as it was, it didn't.

"You been brought here too?" asked Sam, wondering just what was going on.

Barry raised a bony hand on a thin white arm, and threaded his fingers back over his head to clear his fringe from his eyes.

"I…live here." The boy said. He stood, moving around to Sam's side of the bed, and Sam noticed that there was something distinctly odd about the boy's gait. Barry reached out hesitantly to touch Sam's arm, and Sam flinched, pulling his arm back at the unexpected heat of the boy's hand.

"Hey, your hands are boiling hot! Are you sure that you're ok?" Sam looked back at the pale lad, wondering if his complexion was due to some illness. He raised his hand to Barry's forehead, snatching it away: his forehead was as alarmingly warm as his hands.

"Barricade!" he yelled. "I don't know why you've brought Barry here but he needs hospital now! He's running a raging fever!"

"The temperature is wrong?" the boy asked, as steps indicated that Barricade was approaching. It was as Sam began to recognise the similarity between the names of his abductor and the lad, that Barry seemed to freeze in place.

"My research indicated that a normal human body temperature is thirty-seven degrees Celsius." Barricade said as he looked in.

Sam turned back to the frozen form.

"This…is another hologram?" Sam asked.

"Holoform." corrected the Decepticon. "Yes. It is a gift for you. Call it an apology for yesterday.

"A gift?" Sam said in confusion. "But why would I want…" he tailed off and backed away.

Oh nonononono, Barricade! I am NOT interested in any sort of close interaction, with that, thank you! I'm not attracted to other guys, the very idea gives me the creeps!"

"Well, no, of course not, I want to contact you myself, not via my holoform." Barricade stated. "However, when we go out to shop, or even just for a walk – although we will go far from Tranquility, where we are far less likely to encountered by people who know you – would you not prefer my form to look closer to your own age? Hence Barry here. I have endeavoured to make him as accurate as possible, even as far as putting a pulse in his wrists and neck. Which brings me back to my earlier question: his body temperature is what my research indicates is normal for a human, yet your reaction suggests that he is abnormally warm. Explain."

Sam thought frantically back to the biology lessons of two years ago that he thought he'd never need to remember. "Um…that's the normal temperature for the insides." He said. "The body functions best at that temperature, it's known as the core temperature." He managed to recall. "But – um – it cools at the extremities, you know, the limbs and skin?" He tried and failed to recall the average temperature of human skin. "Um – if you recall how I felt when I touched you, I wasn't as warm as you've made Barry, base him on that." Sam suggested.

"That is a suggestion that has merit." Barricade stated. "Very well. Take off your garments."

Sam stared.

"You _what_?" Sam asked, wondering if he had heard him right. Barricade sighed through his vents.

"Your clothing will distort my readings, and I would like to be as accurate as possible. I wish to press your skin against my sensor array to take readings. Take your sleeping garments off."

Sam pulled a face, and almost said 'do I have to?' but stopped himself: He _knew_ the answer to _that _one!

He shrugged, trying to make out it was no big deal, despite the fact he could feel his face going warm. He took off his pyjama jacket, hesitated, and then dropped the pyjama bottoms, stepping out of them. He looked back at Barry nervously: although the form was still frozen in place and he knew it was a holoform, it made him nervous. He remembered all too well the teasing that had gone on when changing for gym classes in school.

He tensed as Barricade seized him in one hand: the touch was gentle enough but Sam's skin was sensitive and he felt all too vulnerable in the hand of the metal giant. Barricade's hands, like Bumblebee's, were not cold metal: obviously the mech's own systems generated enough heat to make the metal warm to the touch, but not uncomfortably so. Sam felt himself lifted up to Barricade's head, the hand adjusted itself to hold him under the arms and left his chest bare and his legs dangling: Sam instinctively kicked his legs.

Barricade said "Stop that, I'm not going to let you fall." Sam stilled his legs, watching nervously as he was brought closer to the spiky sensor array: it looked a little too sharp for his liking.

When his chest contacted the metal it was gently, and Barricade took care not to press him against the spiky tips, the contact was very light. Barricade didn't stop there however: using his other hand to carefully hold the requisite part in place, Barricade touched the sensor crown to Sam's upper and lower legs, then his arms, his back and even, very carefully indeed, his head. Sam squirmed and cried out in alarm as Barricade put a claw down the back of his boxers and pulled them off surprisingly gently, then pressed his buttocks against the array. Sam was worried that Barricade would repeat the contact on that most sensitive part of his anatomy, his groin, but although Barricade turned him, he did not subject Sam to that.

Instead, Barricade tipped Sam back in one hand, the other hand fisted except for Barricade's forefinger, which the big black and white mech trailed very gently around the black and purple bruise the holoform had left on his upper arm.

"Is that what I did yesterday?" he asked softly. Sam only nodded, not knowing what else to say. He still felt incredibly vulnerable in Barricade's grip. Although Barricade had stated he meant Sam no harm, Sam was still very aware that harm could be caused even without intent. Barricade was a powerful mech, Sam had heard it said he had hydraulic joints. That was what made Barricade's grip so precise and steady, but Sam was aware that if Barricade forgot himself, or misjudged, the same hydraulics could crush him like he could crush an egg.

"I'm sorry." Barricade said, still in that soft voice. The fisted hand uncurled, and Sam was shifted so that once again he was cradled in both palms. The hands lifted him up and the mouth kissed him on the chest: this was a familiar sensation, a familiar situation, except for the fact that he was naked. Barricade did not seem to care, not to notice Sam's embarrassed flush. As Barricade put Sam's chest against his cheek, slid him down slightly, and gave a moan, Sam made a mental correction: Barricade seemed to enjoy the feel of Sam's skin against his own metal hide. He figured that Barricade wasn't going to allow him to get dressed any time in the next half-hour.

As the caressing continued, Sam found his embarrassment decreasing: he supposed he was fairly used to this with Bumblebee, and Sam was surprised at how his loyalties had swung towards the lonely Decepticon.

"One time I agreed with Megatron." moaned Barricade against the skin of Sam's back – Barricade had turned him again. "I thought humans were disgusting wet sacks of flesh. But he was wrong, _you _are lovely, Sam, just lovely." The mech murmured. He was turned again, once again his stomach and chest was kissed, and then he abruptly felt something cylindrical but incredibly pliable poke him around the ribs and waist. Sam shrieked with laughter and wriggled – he couldn't help it, he was incredibly ticklish, something Mikaela had found out and used to her advantage. The probing appendage continued to slide and poke around his body, and within five minutes Sam was writhing in Barricade's hands, tears pouring down his face.

Barricade's features reflected alarm as he held Sam back from his face to look at him.

"Your optical sensors! They are leaking! You are damaged?" he asked. "Have I injured you?

"N-no, Barricade, I'm just ticklish." Sam tried to explain. "Whatever that was you were doing stimulated my nerves and made me laugh, so hard that I couldn't control my tear ducts." Sam told him. "The tear ducts keep our eyes moist and clean, but can also be used when someone is unhappy, or sometimes happy, to display emotion." Sam said.

"Humans are confusing creatures." Barricade said in genuine puzzlement.

"What was that you were tickling me with, anyway?" Sam asked.

"My glossa." Said Barricade, and then stuck out what looked like a slender, rounded and segmented tongue. Sam recoiled in shock.

"You were _licking_ me?" Sam said, horrified.

"Was it unpleasant? Did you dislike it?" Barricade asked.

"Well – no – but – well, even _Bumblebee_ never _licked_ me and we got rather close, y'know?" Sam said. Barricade chuckled.

"Bumblebee's facial arrangement is the reason for that, Sam. Bumblebee never licked you only because Bumblebee does not possess a glossa, Sam." Lifting Sam up, Barricade brought him close to his mouth again, and his glossa snaked out and curled itself around Sam's thigh. Sam was about to pull away again when he realised that no, it didn't feel at all unpleasant. It was warm, dry, very smooth, and the pressure around his thigh was firm but not tight. It was akin to having a snake throw a coil over his leg, a metal snake admittedly, but it wasn't nasty. Unlike human tongues, it seemed that the Cybertronian glossa was not slimy or wet. Sam said as much to Barricade, who unwould the appendage from Sam's leg and spoke again.

"We do have valves in the glossa joints that leak lubricant. Sometimes if we are cleaning a wound or we have a stiff joint, we activate them."

"Well please don't with me." Sam said, repressing a shudder. "I don't really like wet slimy things."

"Neither do we, Sam." Barricade said. Then he lifted him to his shoulder and began stroking him with a finger.

Barricade began walking with Sam still cradled in one hand against his shoulder, taking him back out into the wash area, and Sam watched in fascination as Barricade used a hand to pick up the damp towels, squeezed them to remove any excess water, and then packed them into the chest compartment that Frenzy used to occupy.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Drying them, you can't dry yourself when you wash with wet towels." Barricade stated. "My internal systems also get warmer than my hide, these will soon be dry." He said.

Sitting down, Barricade put Sam into the crook of his other arm.

"Rest there a little Sam, please."

Sam nodded – it was fairly warm on Barricade's arm, and not too hard and uncomfortable. He lay there, shifting position a little, thinking things through, and barely flinched when Barricade used the smooth surface of one digit to start stroking down his skin.


	8. Chapter 8

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Jealousy.

Chapter Seven.

Despite the circumstances, Sam was almost asleep when Barricade's arm shifted and the big Decepticon said "The towels are dry, how about having a wash?"

"Yeah, okay." Sam said. Seeing as he was naked, now was as good at time as any, he supposed, and he scrambled down and went into his room to get his washing supplies and a change of clothing. The Barry holoform was no longer in his room, to his relief: Barricade had obviously shut it down for the time being. He came out, put the clothing by the towels, which Barricade had draped over a heap of old crates, and crossed over to the shower.

A shadow fell over him as he turned on the taps, and he saw Barricade stoop to pick up a big car sponge.

"You have washed me, Sam, and I would welcome the opportunity to repay the favour." He said.

Sam eyed the big Decepticon nervously. He was no stranger to being washed by a giant robot: it was something that Bumblebee had started doing with him a month or so earlier, but Bumblebee was his guardian and had blunt fingers. Barricade was his enemy, even if he wasn't quite acting with as much hostility as he first had, and furthermore, Barricade had claws.

As Sam was wondering how he could avoid the wash without offending the black-and-white mech, the decision was abruptly taken out of his hands when Barricade reached out and picked him up and put him under the water flow. He cried out wordlessly in surprise and a little indignation.

Sam was glad that Barricade had allowed him to adjust the water to a comfortable temperature first: the water was a little warmer than Sam would have liked, but not unbearably so. He watched Barricade rub the wet sponge over the little soap he'd put out the night before, then squeezed his eyes shut as Barricade brought the sponge over and braced himself for the vigorous scrubbing he knew would be coming.

The gentle stroking of the sponge down his chest was surprising enough to make Sam open his eyes. Barricade held him on his back in one hand, and was using the sponge with the other, and was taking great care to keep the claws of both hands well clear of Sam's skin. As he looked up at Barricade, he felt the great mech use just a tiny bit more pressure as he moved the sponge in circles across and down Sam's chest, then gently used it to soap up first Sam's legs, then his arms. Sam had a bit of a nasty moment when Barricade moved the sponge down to his groin, but he was as gentle down there as he had been everywhere else.

Then Barricade brought Sam under the shower again, washing off all the soap, brought him back out from under the shower, and with a deft flick of his wrist turned Sam onto his front, using the sponge to lather up his back, and then repeating the process. Then Sam saw Barricade struggle to open the bottle of shampoo with one hand. Sam had to stifle a laugh as the mech got more and more frustrated with the bottle, which looked tiny in his hand, until he lost patience with it, squeezing it until it exploded. Shampoo went everywhere, but Barricade did manage to get the remainder onto the sponge, and brought the sponge down to rub Sam's head vigorously.

The remainder of a previously unopened bottle of shampoo turned out to be rather a lot, Sam realised, as he felt the lather start to froth down his head, over his ears and forehead. Quickly he closed his eyes as the advancing wall of froth flowed down over his face. He was beginning to panic a bit and about to wipe it off with his hands as he felt it crawl over his lips when he felt the shower water hiss against his skin and scalp, washing all the froth off. Releasing the breath he'd been holding, he was a little disappointed when he was taken out from under the water as the froth was all washed off.

He felt a towel, no, two towels, dropped on him and then he felt himself turned so he was wrapped in them. When the turning stopped, he was wrapped up in the towels, face up, arms pinioned to his sides, and Barricade was patting the towels, drying Sam as best he could. After a few minutes of this, Sam was about to point out that he didn't think any more pats would help, and that it was verging on the uncomfortable, when Barricade moved him against his chest and began to rev his engine.

After a few moments, Sam felt the warmth spreading through the towels. He struggled a bit, managed to loosen his arms and put his hands out. Bad idea, he realised, snatching them back under the towel, the heat of the engine had made the hood uncomfortably hot to touch with bare skin.

After a few minutes, Barricade stilled his engine and held Sam away.

"Dry enough?" he asked gently.

"Y-yeah." Sam said.

Barricade put Sam down on the ground, where he quickly finished drying various crannies and folds and between his toes, and then put on his clothes.

As he finished, he heard the familiar sound of transformation from behind him.

"Come. I will take you to call your parents on your cell phone. Then we will go somewhere to get more towels." Barricade said.

Sam had hoped for some food, but didn't want to risk losing his chance to call his parents, so kept quiet. Climbing in Barricade's back seat, he strapped in and let Barricade pull out, watching the scenery and trying to ignore the growing ache in his stomach.

It was his stomach that broke the silence, by growling loudly.

"What was that?" Barricade asked in concern. "Are you unwell?"

"No." Sam said sheepishly. "It's something humans do when they're hungry, an automatic reflex. Ignore it, it's OK."

"I forgot, you humans need to refuel frequently." Barricade said. "Why didn't you say so before we left?"

"Food can wait, but I didn't want to risk missing out on my call." Sam said anxiously.

Barricade pulled into the next gas station, and killed the engine. Grabbing money out of the glove box, Barricade said "Stay there. I won't be gone long." He headed out to the pay kiosk, and returned a few moments later clutching some packets, which he shoved at Sam.

"Eat, Sam." Barricade said as he got in the front. "It would not be good if you were to lose consciousness through a lack of fuel." Barricade stated. Sam personally though he could probably cope with missing a meal without losing consciousness, but did not disabuse Barricade of the notion, but tucked into the food and drink provided instead.

Barricade began moving at some point while Sam did the food and drink provided justice, but didn't really notice where they were going until he had finished, when he looked out of the window and realised the landscape was unfamiliar. He didn't comment in it, but was not surprised when Barricade stopped, got out, and motioned for Sam to do likewise. As he did, the Police officer holoform morphed into the Barry-holoform with barely a ripple. Barry grinned and held Sam's cell out to him.

"You can call your parents but don't tell them who you're with or where you are." he warned, his voice holding a thread of tension although the holoform still grinned broadly. Sam couldn't help but grin back as he reached out to take his cell from Barry's outstretched hand.

Keying in his parent's number, Sam held the cell to his ear, as his father answered, reading off the number as he always did and ending with "Hello". Sam was surprised to find tears welling in his eyes.

"Dad, it's me, Sam." He managed to say. "I'm okay."

"It's Sam!" Sam heard his dad yell, then to him again "Son, where are you?"

"Can't say." Sam said quickly, not wanting Barricade to truncate this, his first call. "But look, Dad, I'm safe and being treated well, and I don't think I'm gonna be hurt, OK?" I love you right, OK?"

"Sam, can't you tell us anything?" Ron asked, but at that point Sam felt Barry's deceptively strong hand wrest the cell from his hand and terminate the call.

"A trace was started on the call, they have involved your local law enforcement." Barry said, turning the cell off and motioning Sam to get back in the car as he re-morphed to the Police officer and got in.

"We are moving, Get in."

Sam got in as ordered, barely had time to do up his seat belt before Barricade peeled out at a respectable clip and headed out onto the highway, only just keeping within the speed limit. Sam figured Barricade was trying to get away from their previous location in case the trace had worked. Despite the shortness of the call, Sam had felt a mixture of sadness and happiness at hearing his father's familiar tones on the phone. Happiness because he' d been able to assure then that he was not just alive but safe, and sadness because he missed his parents.

After about an hour, Sam noticed that they were entering into a town, a slightly familiar town at that.

"Um, Barricade, what are we doing here?" asked Sam. Barricade's holoform turned to look at him.

"We are going to the mall to buy towels and new shampoo for you, plus anything else you feel you may need." Barricade said as he turned down a street that Sam was not familiar with. Of course, Sam reflected, last time he had been here, he had been rather too busy to be doing anything as mundane as _shopping_. He had had his hands full enough with trying to stay alive and keep possession of the AllSpark.

Even so, Sam had to quietly shake his head at the nerve Barricade was showing by going back to Mission City…

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

**Bumblebee, we've received footage of Sam in a shopping mall in Mission city, of all places.** Mirage commed Bumblebee. **Dated yesterday, I may add.** He told the yellow scout. Bumblebee pulled aside, projected his holomap, and added a marker. With the first sighting and the phone call location pinpointed, Bumblebee was sure that one or two more sightings would help give him an area in which he could be sure that searching would be fruitful.

He gunned his engine angrily. When he found Barricade, Bumblebee was determined to make the black-and-white Decepticon regret that he'd ever been sparked…


	9. Chapter 9

Seven Deadly Sins: Jealousy.

Barricade.

Chapter Eight.

It wasn't long before life with Barricade fell into a comfortable routine for Sam. In the morning he would wake, although that wasn't always a natural awakening: Sam had found himself waking in Barricade's strangely gentle hands twice now as the black and white mech had been lifting him up for a cuddle. Barricade had now been keeping Sam with him for just over two weeks, and oddly enough, Sam was feeling less stressed about this, not more.

Sam had by now got used to the Decepticon being so strangely touchy-feely, and had stopped questioning why this was, because Sam thought he'd worked it out. It had started as a genuine need, the Decepticon having not felt a human or Cybertronian touch for months, but now Barricade was doing it because he _liked_ it. Despite the fact that Sam was a sweaty organic, Barricade was able to put aside enough of his disgust at Sam's moist organicness to enjoy holding and caressing him, and, for that matter, to enjoy the touches Sam gave in return.

Sam himself enjoyed the contact. He was still scared a little of Barricade, because there was no question that the mech could be volatile, and Sam could never be sure that something he might do - or omit to do - could set Barricade off. However, Sam was also aware that the contact itself calmed Barricade and made him happier, so the best thing he could do, he felt, was continue it, and if he happened to enjoy doing so, well, that was a bonus.

After cuddles, if they happened first, Sam washed himself - or was sometimes washed by Barricade, something else he now took in his stride - and that was often followed by more touch whether Sam had been picked up and/or washed already or not. Then Barricade let Sam eat and they would ether sit and talk, or Barricade would take Sam out to stretch his legs, shop, or call either Mikaela or his parents.

Barricade's young human holoform tended to accompany Sam to the malls when they set out to replenish the perishable foods, or buy other things Sam found he needed, and Barricade had been refining it. Now it's brow would furrow if it frowned, the face crease and dimple when he laughed, and even the hair sometimes moved in the wind. Barricade had access to the entire Internet and the holoform had taken to telling Sam jokes that sometimes had the young teen creasing up with laughter. Sometimes, Barricade's holoform acted so human that Sam could forget for a few minutes at a time that Barry was just a holoform.

Unbeknownst to both the Decepticon and his young captive, Bumblebee was receiving knowledge of any sightings of them, and plotting them on his map, and despite Barricade's care in choosing locations, a pattern was emerging.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam stirred as the haunting, beautiful, but wholly alien music insinuated itself into his slowly-waking brain. He turned over in the bed, fought his way out of the sheets that had somehow become twisted around his body, and looked up, to see Barricade sitting by his bed cross-legged, optics half shuttered, holding and playing what had to be a musical instrument, for it was from this that the alien melody was coming. Sam looked up at Barricade's oblivious face, stunned into silence by the oddly tranquil expression on it.

As the last strains died and Barricade's optics fully unshuttered, Sam could not help but burst into applause. Barricade looked down, startled, and Sam stopped, worried he'd offended the mech.

"Did you…like it?" Barricade asked.

"Yeah." Sam said, looking up at Barricade with awe. He recalled an earlier conversation, when Barricade had claimed to be a composer.

"Was that your composition?" he asked. Barricade nodded.

"I used to play in some of Cybertron's biggest music halls, to large audiences. Now I play my music for just myself…or now, for you." he said, reaching down one large finger to stroke down Sam's head, neck, and back.

"Well, thanks, it's beautiful." Sam said.

"Go and wash yourself, Sam, and I will play for you while you cleanse yourself." Barricade said softly, raising his instrument again. Sam did so, and true to his word, Barricade played as Sam washed.

Sam took longer about washing himself than usual, thinking of Barricade playing to huge crowds in big halls, and wondering how things might have gone for Barricade had the war not happened. Sam wondered if Barricade was happier then, or was he happy now with his new life? Sam could see that Barricade channelled the same energy he put into his battles into his music, although Sam realised it was actually the other way round, the music had come first. Had Barricade reconciled himself to being a warrior instead of an artist, Sam wondered, or did Barricade still dream of the days his hands had been used to create instead of destroy?

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Sam ate, and then went for his obligatory petting and cuddles. The musical instrument was absent, and Sam wondered but did not ask where it was. As was usual, Barricade brought Sam up to his chest and his face where Sam could reciprocate, kissed the boy on his chest and back, and cuddled him in his big hands. Sam, for his part, was getting bolder, exploring some of the gaps in Barricade's armour, sliding his hands under looser segments of plating, and Barricade seemed to enjoy this new boldness, moaning and shivering as Sam touched wires and cables.

Sam was distressed to find some dirt and grit in what must have been very uncomfortable places, and that's when he had the idea.

"Barricade?" he said.

"Yes, Sam?" Barricade said.

"I think you need another wash." Sam said. "You're all gritty in here."

"Very well." Barricade said. He stood, took Sam through to the wash area, and set him down, backing off ready to transform into his alt mode. Sam held up his hand.

"No, Barricade, don't transform, I would like to wash you in robot form. Please?" he asked, still mindful to be polite. He and Barricade might seem to have some sort of understanding, Barricade might seem to be fond of him, but he was still an alien, and Sam was well aware that Barricade was a trained soldier, who might yet have no qualms about squishing Sam if he overstepped the line.

Barricade blinked his optics, looked at Sam.

"You wish to wash me…like this?" he asked. Sam wasn't sure if he heard a slight tremor in Barricade's voice as he spoke, and nodded at the mech.

"If that would be okay?" he said.

Barricade's response was to drop to a cross-legged seated position and open his arms.

"Let me get a toothbrush a mo." Sam said, and disappeared into his room, reappearing a moment later with the toothbrush. He moved over to grab a sponge and some car shampoo, then moved over to the shower.

After thoroughly soaking Barricade, Sam lathered him up with the shampoo and sponge, sluiced off the suds, then used the toothbrush to get in under plating and into crevices where dirt and grit had accumulated. Barricade obviously enjoyed this part, if his stretches and moans were anything to go by, and Sam was careful not to scrub too hard with the brush. Then Sam got some of his towels and toilet paper, and set to drying the sensitive areas under the plating.

Carefully he rubbed at the areas of plating, and dabbed at wires and cables, careful to mop up every bit of moisture he could find. Barricade had lain down for this, and Sam had to watch his footing and hold on, for Barricade twitched and cried out even more at this. Again, there was no doubt that Barricade was enjoying his ministrations. Soon, though, Sam had patted Barricade's innards dry, and he was wet himself and rather tired.

Then Barricade carefully undressed Sam, who didn't protest as Barricade gave him his second wash of the day, and then carefully patted him dry with towels Sam had not used on him. He put Sam in his room, and said "Get some rest, you've worked hard on cleaning me, thank you."

Sam nodded wearily. Putting on his pyjamas and climbing back into his bed, drowsily leaning into Barricade's hand as the big Decepticon stroked him, then left.

Barricade stretched after leaving the human, wondering what he could do until the boy was adequately rested. He looked up at a crack in the warehouse, could see a beam of sunlight shining through, dust motes caught in its light. Barricade decided he'd nip outside for a few minutes, to feel the sun on his hide, and enjoy its warmth. Oh yes, he'd been out with Sam in alt mode often enough in the sunlight, but he tended to spend his time in bipedal form indoors, in case he was spotted. However, they were far enough away from civilisation that he could chance a few moments outside in robot form, surely?

He went over to the warehouse door, opened it, and slipped outside, not bothering to close the door as he only planned on being outside for a few minutes. He arched and spread his limbs, resettling his feet for balance as he enjoyed the feel of the sun in his plating, warming the metal that Sam had scrubbed and dried fifteen minutes previously. He mused that perhaps he should sit outside with Sam like this one day, they could talk and enjoy the sunlight together.

With his optics shuttered and his guard down, Barricade did not notice the figure that slipped around the corner of the warehouse. He was so off guard it took him a couple of seconds to register the whine of a weapon powering up.

His optics flew open and his head turned, but not soon enough to avoid the pulse of blue that flew at him, knocking him backwards and flipping him over twice before he landed. As he stood, his optics focused on his assailant, who shone a bright yellow in the sun, his blue optics blazing with a similar intensity to the blue glow in the mouth of his cannon.

Bumblebee had tracked down Barricade. Bumblebee was furious, and Bumblebee intended to deliver Barricade a punishing sting.


	10. Chapter 10

Seven Deadly Sins: Jealousy.

Barricade.

Chapter Nine.

Bumblebee spoke, his voice low and quiet, the dangerous quiet of barely-suppressed anger.

"Where is he? Where have you put Sam?" he said. As Barricade picked himself up, Bumblebee moved his cannon to cover him.

"He has come to no harm, he is now resting. You must know he is alive and well, he has been calling his friends and parental units frequently to assure them of this fact."

"You stole him from me. Give him back!" Bumblebee demanded.

"If you cannot keep your pets that is no fault of mine, Autobot!" replied Barricade.

"You stole him from me with deceit and trickery! Give him back! Sam is _mine_!" Bumblebee retorted."

"The humans say that possession is nine-tenths of the law, and by that wisdom, the human boy belongs to me." Barricade replied.

"Umm, excuse me, but don't_ I_ get a say?" spoke a familiar voice from the open warehouse door. There stood Sam, hair mussed, still in pyjamas, squinting into the light as he peered at the two. "Sorry to correct you guys, but I'm a free American, I don't 'belong' to _either_ of you." He said.

Barricade chuckled.

"Caught by your own beliefs, Autobot. If you continue to lay a claim of ownership on the boy, you go against the freedom your side professes is so precious a right to all. As a Decepticon, I have no such problems with claiming him for myself. So, what is it to be, youngling? Will you follow your beliefs and stop fighting, or go against them and take away his freedom? Either way, you lose, one way or the other?"

Bumblebee could see the problem. If he stopped fighting, there was no way he could stop Barricade from simply taking Sam again. If he claimed Sam like a pet or possession, he would lose the boy's trust, and compromise everything he believed in. He could only think of one thing he could do.

"No, Sam, I will not compromise your freedom, I can only hope that Barricade will allow you choice as well." The yellow scout folded down into Camaro form, flipped open his door.

"The choice is yours, Sam. You can come home with me, to your parent's house, or you can stay with Barricade and I will leave." The scout's voice was heavy, he feared the choice Sam would make. He had been living with Barricade for more than two weeks, and Bumblebee had been warned by Ratchet that a dependency might have been formed – a dependency that might have skewed Sam's perspective so much that there was a real risk he might choose the Decepticon police cruiser over his Autobot friend.

"Why does it have to be one or the other?" Sam pleaded, looking between the two, because he was torn. "Can't we come to some sort of compromise, rather than one or the other? There's enough love in me for you both, and I know from what you've told me, Bee that three or more in a relationship is not uncommon amongst your people. Can't we –"

Sam's mouth continued moving and both mechs were able to read his lips as an ear-piercing screech of jet engines hit their audios. Bumblebee physically rolled back and Barricade jumped back towards the warehouse as a huge pair of feet thudded to the ground between them.

"I see you have not been idle while I have been absent gathering more followers, who will be with us within a day, Barricade." Starscream stated. "I have brought back nine loyal Decepticon followers, five of whom are fliers, including my own wing-brothers. You, Barricade, have caught the squishy who killed Megatron and his Autobot keeper. I can destroy them both now, the squishy _and_ the useless Autobot youngling! What a coup that will be for me – for the Decepticons, that is. What we could do with my new followers and with one less Autobot to worry about. Perhaps I will leave the youngling's body outside their base as a visual reminder of the fate that awaits them all." He turned purposefully towards Bumblebee who was still in car form: belatedly Bumblebee opened his other door in readiness to transform, although he knew he would not stand a chance against Starscream alone, let alone against the Seeker and Barricade working together.

"Bee, no!" Sam cried, about to run towards his Autobot companion, but he felt a hand seize him. It was Barricade.

He felt himself lifted, then put on the floor between Barricade and the Seeker.

"Why kill the scout first, Lord Starscream?" Barricade asked. "You know, do you not, that he was appointed first by Optimus Prime as the boy's guardian, then chose to stay with him in that capacity? Kill the squishy first, let the scout see his failure to protect the human, and then kill the scout as well, let him have no hope that the boy can be saved." Barricade turned his head to give Bumblebee a disdainful look.

"Why, what a splendid idea, Barricade!" Starscream said, turning away from Bumblebee to face Sam. Barricade raised his hands suddenly to his sensor crown, flicked one optic shut and open again briefly, shuttered both optics, and turned his head away. All this took only a second, a movement Starscream barely noticed as his attention was fixed on the cowering human in front of him – and Bumblebee suddenly knew what was happening, and what he needed to do.

As Starscream took a menacing step towards Sam, both he and Sam were almost blinded as a bright flare of light flashed from Bumblebee. Sam staggered back, only just registering that Barricade had leaped over him, interposing himself between Sam and Starscream, but Starscream only heard the noise of mech movement, for Bumblebee's flare attack rendered not just optics but robotic sensors useless for several seconds. As Barricade had briefly offlined his own sensors before Bumblebee's attack and shuttered his optics, he was at no such disadvantage as he re-onlined his sensor net – a sensor net designed to aid with fighting.

Starscream knew Bumblebee would be transforming, but what he was not anticipate was_ Barricade's_ savage attack. Barricade's claws impacted on Starscream's chest and dragged themselves across it, leaving gouges, and Starscream cried out and blindly lashed out with both of his own clawed hands as Barricade leaped back. The Seeker's reach was greater than Barricade's own, and although one hand missed the other slashed across Barricade's own chest, leaving scratched paint and rough-edged slashes in the metal beneath. It was a serious injury, but Barricade was known as a fearsome warrior, it was said it would take a more serious injury to stop or even slow him, and the rumours were true.

The injury did not appear to affect Barricade, who took one long step back, putting Sam between the cruiser's feet but taking Barricade beyond the reach of Starscream's sharp-edged fingers. However, this left Starscream within reach of Barricade's metal-shredding battle-saw, which was flung forwards on a folding arm whose range rivalled the Decepticon leader's own reach. Barricade was fighting for keeps here, the sharp-edged irregularly-shaped blades sang discordantly as they cut into Starscream's armour, and the Seeker pulled back immediately with a screech of agony and anger, for Barricade's blades had been aimed at the flyer's wing-juncture. A serious injury here could damage a Seeker seriously enough to compromise his flying ability, something few Seekers would risk, for most gloried in their ability to fly.

Barricade took two steps forward, pressing his advantage, although Starscream's sensor-blindness was easing. However, Barricade's attack had left Bumblebee free to complete his transformation into robot form. As Starscream lunged forward in desperation, determined to hurt Barricade, Bumblebee let loose with the most powerful attack he could muster with his cannon, an attack that knocked the Seeker flying, to land on his back with a screech. It was Bumblebee's most powerful solar accelerator attack, an attack that left Bumblebee vulnerable to any counter-attack, but neither Barricade nor Starscream knew this.

Seekers were designed to fly high, face down high in the sky, not lie on the ground gazing up into it, so Starscream acted immediately to rectify the situation, throwing his upper body forwards and pushing against the ground with his hands to right himself, which he did without delay. However, it gave Barricade the opportunity to renew his attack, something he wasted no time in doing, slashing at Starscream with both his bladed saw and one of his hands.

Starscream keened as both attacks found their targets: his wing/body junctures. He lashed out with both upper limbs, Barricade crying out and groaning at the gouges Starscream's razor-tipped digits scoured across his chest. He staggered back but only by one step, then as Bumblebee took a step forwards, his cannon-mouth glowing blue, Barricade surged forwards, attacking the same places again.

By this point, Starscream took one look at Bumblebee, battle-mask down and cannon at the ready, felt Barricade's attack, and decided that he had had enough. He lashed out at Barricade again, his sharp finger edges shaving curls of metal from Barricade's chest before flinging himself the other way, leaping into the air, converting to F-22 form and accelerating out of the area as fast as his thrusters could take him.

Barricade raised his hands to hip level before crossing them at the wrists with a grin: recognising the "talk, not fight" gesture, Bumblebee lowered his cannon, but did not stand down from battle-readiness.

"If you want to talk, than talk." Bumblebee stated. "However, I will not tolerate any threat to Sam or his freedom."

"Then we are in agreement, Bumblebee." stated the Decepticon. "Sam's freedom must not be in dispute: the choice is his."

Bumblebee's round blue optics seemed to get even rounder at this statement, Sam noticed, despite the fact that Bumblebee's optics were naturally perfect spheres.

"Then we should let Sam choose." Stated Bumblebee.

"I believe Starscream's attack interrupted Sam's statement of what he wanted to happen." Barricade said softly. "Perhaps we should ask Sam again?" He looked to the human and so did Bumblebee: Sam wiped his suddenly sweaty palms against his pyjama bottoms.

"Why can't we share? You've told me often enough, Bumblebee, that the petty jealousies that exist between human couples do not happen on Cybertron, that relationship-units composed of three or more individuals are common." Sam said.

"That is true, Sam, but the truth is also that Barricade is a Decepticon, I am an Autobot, and for obvious reasons, you are an Autobot sympathiser. It may be hard for you to accept, Sam, but inter-faction relationships are often destroyed by the interplay between love, and faction loyalties."

"What you say is true." Barricade admitted. He abruptly stepped towards Bumblebee, who brought his cannon up to cover the Decepticon. He gave a short laugh.

"You hide it well, but an attack of that power must have exhausted you, youngling. However, there is no need to fight. My loyalty was to Megatron, not the Decepticon cause. I have no great love of Starscream, he is a self-important glory-grabber." Barricade paused before continuing.

"I can think of many a campaign where I did most of the work, sometimes taking orns to wear our opponents down or to get into a position where I could betray them, and then Starscream came in, finished it off - something he could not have done without my work - and then claimed all the credit himself. Now the AllSpark is gone, even Megatron's dreams are unobtainable." He chuckled again. "No, I owe the Decepticon cause - and Starscream as Decepticon leader - nothing, thus my loyalty is free to be given to whom I choose."

Abruptly the black and white mech knelt before Bumblebee, bending his head, all weapons out but powered down in a gesture of trust.

"If this is what is needed, I can fight for a different cause. If it is what is needed to retain contact with Sam, I will align myself with the Autobots, fight for their cause, and protect the humans rather than sow chaos amongst them."

Both Sam and Bumblebee stared at Barricade for a time, but it was Sam who spoke first.

"I can see your reasoning that your loyalty is now free and you don't want to serve under Starscream but why _now_? You could just grab me and leave, you said as much earlier. Why the change of heart, Barricade, what is in it for_ you_?"

Barricade nodded, and raised his head, red optics meeting brown human eyes.

"You are correct in that I seek more than I have said, Sam, but the answer, I would have thought, was obvious. I have just proved myself a traitor to Starscream by allying with your scout friend to attack him. You heard him, he now has reinforcements, if I were to return to him now it is likely he would have me destroyed. I may have been considered surplus in any case, he stated he had other followers, five of them fliers, two of them of his own trine. Alone I do not stand a chance if they track me down or corner me, it makes sense to ally myself with the enemy of my new enemies." Barricade explained.

Barricade switched his gaze from Sam's face to Bumblebee's.

"If any of you refuse me, I shall leave, and take my chance on my own as you will have condemned me to do." He stopped speaking, holding Bumblebee's gaze until the latter dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Very well, Barricade, I will take you with us into our Base for your own safety." Bumblebee stated. His tone was decisive, not shamed or defeated. There were times Sam forgot that his friend carried the rank of Captain amongst the Autobots, but this was not one of those times. Bumblebee continued to speak to Barricade.

"Nobody can deny that by standing with me and Sam against Starscream, you have made him your enemy, for that one's Spark carries grudges for a long time. However, it is not for me to decide if you join us. You are injured." he said, indicating the chest scratches which were oozing energon. "Can you transform and travel?" Barricade nodded.

"It will be Optimus Prime who decides my fate then?" he asked as Bumblebee folded back down into his Camaro form.

"No, Barricade, it is _your_ choice." Bumblebee said. "We do not demand loyalty to our cause to defend those under threat from Decepticon activity. We are sworn to protect, you could decide to be neutral and we would_ still_ protect you. The choice, Barricade, is yours to make but must not feel like a forced choice."

He flicked open his driver's door. "Would you like to come back in me, Sam, or in Barricade? I do suggest that we move from here, in case Starscream comes back."

"I'll go in you for now , Bee, and 'Cade, maybe we can go out again a bit later?" He watched as Barricade wordlessly folded down and activated his Police officer hologram, and Sam leaned forwards to stroke his hood, then climbed into Bumblebee's driver's seat.

"He seems awfully quiet." Sam said to Bumblebee, looking around at the interior of the car that was at once strange and familiar to Sam at the same time.

"He's thinking, I think, Sam, let him think. Everything has suddenly changed for him, he has some working out to do." Bumblebee said. "When he's ready to talk, if he ever is, we will be here for him."

Sam nodded, leaned his head back against Bumblebee's seat rest, closed his eyes, and relaxed as Bumblebee took them back towards the Autobot base.


	11. Chapter 11

Seven Deadly Sins: Barricade.

Jealousy.

Epilogue.

Six Months Later.

Barricade watched intently as Cliffjumper and Ratchet both worked on the small piece of instrument in front of them. He was tense, his body literally vibrating with tension as the ex-craftsmech and the medic both brought their micro-welding tools to bear on the piece.

It had taken him this long to entrust the broken piece of instrument to them, but he supposed it was fitting: an Autobot, albeit accidentally, had been the one to damage it, it was fitting that Autobots should repair it. However, he couldn't help worry that they would mess it up and make it worse, even if one _was_ a medic and the other a trained craftsmech.

He had told them that he'd make them a deal: if they could repair it so he could not feel the join, he'd join the Autobots, if they couldn't improve, he'd stay neutral, if they made it worse he'd likely kill them in a blinding rage. The risk was up to them.

Ratchet had talked the idea over with Cliffjumper, although not before telling Barricade that his promise to join the 'bots would not be necessary. If they did it, it would be because they wanted to, they didn't need to be bribed. Barricade had nodded but he had already made his mind up that he would do as he had said. They had, after looking at the piece, agreed it was well worth a try. The chances of improvement were greater than the risks of making it worse.

They were certainly careful, he noticed as he watched them at work: there was no rushing, they took several hours to complete the repairs, there was very precise application of the micro-welders, and the piece was inspected and viewed from all angles after the first few stabilising welds. They spent as much care as Barricade himself would have, he noticed, and he certainly could not see the join afterwards, not once Cliffjumper smoothed and polished it and rubbed it with some special wax he had in a tin that came in his tool roll.

He vibrated with even more tension as the two 'bots examined it, having to restrain himself from leaning over and snatching the piece of his beloved instrument from their hands. Once they had finished, and Cliffjumper had given it an extra buff with his polishing cloth, he handed it to Barricade, who took it with a light but steady grip, care of his hydraulics, and brought it up to his optics.

He couldn't see the join although he knew it was there, ran a thumb over where he knew the break had been but could not feel it, and blew air through his vents. He didn't know how they had done it, but they had managed to make the break undetectable to normal vision and feel. He had no doubt that his sensors could probably detect the break, and magnification of his vision would likely show the minute join, but he didn't want to spoil it with that. It would not be noticeable now when he played and that was what mattered. He slotted it in it's place in the rest of the instrument, tuned it, and played a brief piece of music on it. This would be the real test, to see if it sounded right. To his relief, it played true, there were no sour notes to evidence a slightly off-true weld.

"Thank you." he said, inclining his head. Dismantling the instrument he put it back in it's case and then re-subspaced it. He checked his internal chrono. "I must go and see Sam now." He and Bumblebee, although not yet comfortable enough to engage with Sam together, had worked out a timetable of sorts. There was time when Sam did his own things, like school and homework time, or when Sam wanted some time to himself. He and Bumblebee had divvied up the rest of the time equally between them. Often Barricade would meet with Sam when Bumblebee was on duty, Bumblebee met Sam during his off times. It was an arrangement that worked well.

The two 'bots nodded, aware of the arrangement. As Barricade went out onto the corridor, the so-far blank yellow shield he'd replaced the Decepticon badge with rippled and changed to become the red Autobot logo. He had promised Ratchet and Cliffjumper, even if they said it wasn't necessary, and he wanted to keep his word, if only for one other very good reason.

Sam was going to wash him in robot form today, and it was something new for Sam to discover.


End file.
